Earning Wings
by Zarafla Kirtan-Pherrin
Summary: At the end of the battle with Hexxus, Zak has decided to stay in Ferngully as a faerie, much to Pips' chagrin. Will he ever see that Zak has earned those wings all along?
1. After The Battle

Earning Wings

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH! Lime

_A/N_: _It's been a while since I wrote a fanfic on anything. Sorry for my negligence... ^^; I'll be updating the other stories soon, I promise. But in the mean time, enjoy a fanfic that I did finish in a notebook a couple days ago. :) Ferngully is not mine, nor are the characters. They belong to their respective creators. Don't sue, blah blah blah... If you don't like slash, yaoi, boy on boy romance and sex, don't read! Enjoy!_

It was when Crysta came back to the forest that Pips knew there was something just not quite right. She brought with her what seemed to be another faerie. But there was something different about him. The blond guy was wearing clothes that didn't resemble anything that the other faeries wore, on his feet were some kind of fabric shells with rope tied to them, and he had no wings. He even smelled weird, like something that was unnatural to Ferngully. Not grass, or dirt, or rain... but something he couldn't pinpoint.

But the fact that this creature wasn't a faerie intrigued Pips. And once Crysta had announced that Zak, this weird creature, was a human, Pips was stricken with amazement.

Not a single faerie had come into contact with a human since the battle of Hexxus long ago. Humans were thought of as legends! Myths! For a long time, Pips was convinced that this creature called Zak couldn't possibly be human.

He was too small and he had the bumbling wits of a lesser, inferior being than a human, let alone a faerie. In the stories, humans were said to hold vast intelligence and great wisdom. They were great allies of the faeries. But this Zak possessed none of those qualities.

What's more, Zak had the nerve to flirt and charm Crysta, Pips' self-claimed girl! But every time Pips tried to stop the sparks from flying between Crysta and Zak, Crysta would defend the lowly being! This infuriated Pips even more... Even though many faerie-folk in Ferngully knew that Pips was a fearsome warrior, Zak did not cower from the red head's threats and the Beetleboys' taunts. He faced every challenge that Pips threw at him. Zak even had the gall to smirk at things that Pips knew made others fear him.

For those many days that this supposed human stayed in the rainforest, Pips hated Zak. He wished him nothing but misfortune, or better, to disappear.

Hexxus had been resurrected then, from his enchanted tree prison! And what's more, other humans had helped the blighted enemy of nature to destroy the sacred rainforest.

Looking back on it, Pips had realized that he was cursing himself, as well as every other being in Ferngully, when he wished the blond ill. Pips had thought he had sealed their doom with his jealousy and spite.

However, when Crysta blamed Zak for the destruction and leading a path to Ferngully with his "magic red marks", Pips thought he'd be happy to see the creature tormented with the thought of his lies and trepidations! Pips believed he would be happy to see Zak blamed and abandoned by his newfound friends!

Oddly, however, the red headed faerie didn't feel anything but sorrow and guilt. Seeing Crysta-a friendly and loving girl-scorn Zak the way she did made Pips want to defend the blond and reassure him that he still had him to lean on. But the call to war against Hexxus had distracted Pips. No one shrugged off this kind of calling, especially since it was Madgie.

The eldest faerie had been the one to lock away Hexxus the first time. She was now calling every faerie and life form to give their strength and energy to fight the dreaded Hexxus.

But what no one anticipated was that kind, patient, trusting, silver-haired Madgie would give the last of her strength and life to help Crysta put away the demon for good!

Everyone had received a tiny bit of power from their leader as she vanished, but the majority of it went to their new leader, Crysta.

Pips knew that no one would have made a better leader of the faeries that the dark-haired Crysta. He was proud to follow her! Even in all his arrogance, Pips knew he was not the one to fight Hexxus head on.

Who would have guessed that, despite the lies and his size, that Zak would join the fight? Whether it was guilt or because he received some magic from Madgie, or both, the human enlisted the erratic Batty Koda to take him to the giant machine that the other humans were using to destroy the rainforest.

Pips could only admire the courage and will that the tiny human had. Even when Batty Koda was taken down by falling debris, Zak did not give up! But as the blond held on to dear life to accomplish who knew what, Pips even saved Zak's life and helped him into the giant machine. By the end of it all, when Crysta took down Hexxus and forever encased him in another enchanted tree, Pips looked to Zak with newfound respect. Without his help, Ferngully would have been a myth.

The red head didn't even get angry when Crysta and Zak embraced. Although the trust had been broken and restored, he recognized the friendship-not love-the two had for one another.

And that's when Crysta asked the question, "Do you want to return to your people? I have the ability to restore you to your normal size."

Pips looked back and forth between them, worried. Just as soon as he was getting along with Zak, he was offered to return to the humans! The unfairness of it all!

"...You know..." The familiar, cocky grin spread across Zak's face. "I could get used to living here."

A cheer erupted among the faeries, Pips among them with ten-fold enthusiasm.

"Well," Crysta began with a gentle smile, "if you're sure, would you like to remain as a human?"

Silence greeted this new question, as every fae looked at one another uneasily. What did their leader mean? Even Madgie, the greatest faerie that ever lived, didn't have that kind of power to change one's anatomy! Did Crysta contain a hidden power, or did she only theorize that she could pull the impossible? The consequences would be disastrous if she were wrong!

Zak considered the offer, albeit stunned speechless.

After a moment, Zak finally found his voice. "You mean I could become a faerie?"

"Yes!" She answered, voices among the crowd around them whispering and gasping.

"...I-" He began. "I don't know what to say, Crysta!"

Pips, who had been quite thoroughly shocked, spoke up in his usual pompous manner. "Why should we give him the abilities of our people, when that goes against the natural way of life?" His anger and distrust had returned.

"He's already a small humanoid, which is unnatural already." Batty reasoned.

"True." Pips conceded. "But who are we to change his very anatomical structure?"

"Is that you being concerned for my well-being, Pips? Or are you just questioning Crysta's decision based upon your insecurities?" Zak set his fisted hands upon his hips, sarcasm twisting his features into malicious anger.

"I just don't quite trust you yet, human."

"How can you not trust me when I have helped save your civilization?"

"You were the one who brought that tree-eating beast and Hexxus into our midst!" Pips yelled, forgetting that he had internally forgiven Zak earlier that day. "Or did you forget?"

"I was ignorant!" Zak screamed, coming toe-to-toe with the irritating, red headed faerie. "I was ignorant that the tree Hexxus was encased in would bring about doom upon every living creature! In that, I'm innocent!"

Crysta tried to get between the two and push them apart, but Pips easily side-stepped. "I'll give you that, Zag-"

"Zak!" The blond interjected, angry as he always was whenever Pips got his name wrong.

"-but what about the tree-eating beast that you humans led into our forest? Even if you hadn't led that thing to the enchanted tree, it could have taken out the forest anyway!"

"Yet again, you red headed idiot, I was innocent! I just did what I was told to! I had no idea that you faeries even existed before a couple days ago! And before, I admit that I didn't really care what happened to Ferngully at the time!" Gasps and outraged cries followed the statement. He softened his tone as he spoke to those assembled before him. "Us humans out there in the rest of the world don't know any better. We get by through life doing things out of obligation. When I was putting those red marks on your trees, it was so the machine could know which ones to cut down. It was only supposed to be a few trees that we were taking. Like faeries such as yourselves, we humans use trees for our homes. But we can't live in trees like you do. So we cut down trees and make things out of them for our homes. It's just something we're used to doing. And I helped in the process of gathering these trees for my people because it's necessary for our part of the world. I wish it wasn't, but unfortunately it is. And what I was doing was called a job. A thing that we humans need to survive. Not all jobs are required to cut down trees. Some involve making things or growing food or teaching others."He looked around himself apologetically. "But now I realize the consequences of my actions. I made a mistake. But do not condemn me so quickly before you think about this: while you faeries may have known about humans, whether in stories or myths, humans don't know about faeries! We have no idea that faeries exist!"

"That's not true." Batty interjected, a bolt of electricity going between the wires connected to his head. "You humanoids talk about faeries and 'faerie-tales' all the time! Of course, those are complete works of fiction told to small humanoids."

"While you may have a point," Zak agreed, pushing his blond locks away from his eyes. "humans still believe that faeries don't actually exist. Those 'works of fiction' as you put it, are just that. Fiction. Fiction means fake, make-believe, non-existent. Humans may tell stories about faeries, but they don't actually believe them. Just like you guys only saw humans as myth. We're not so really different in that area. I'm the only one that knows that faeries actually exist and all of you can confirm that humans are more than just ancient allies that went missing several thousands of years ago." At this point, several faerie-folk were nodding their heads as they processed the information.

"Okay then." Pips said, joining back into the conversation. "I can believe that you were ignorant of your actions. But that still doesn't excuse the fact that your mistake could have costed our lives, never mind our only home!"

"Mistakes happen! It was an accident!"

"Still an accident that could have let Hexxus win!"

"But he didn't! I corrected the mistake helped save Ferngully! What is there not to trust in me, Pips?"

Pips jabbed a finger into Zak's chest with enough force to leave a bruise. "You and the other humans started the problem! So by right, it was your mistake to fix, whether you wanted to or not! That's not an act of heroism! It's obligation! And guilt is a great motivator if you chose to ignore the responsibility! The task was yours, Zap!"

"Zak!"

"It would be like me pushing you off this branch right now, sending you to tumble to your death." To illustrate the point, Pips pushed the blond human off the edge.

Zak screamed, falling to the Earth below.

In a graceful sweep of his wings, the red head went chasing after him and grabbed him by the foot just before the deadly impact.

"Dammit Pips! Don't freaking do that to me again, or so help me I'll hurt you!" Zak said breathlessly as Pips lowered him back onto the branch that he was on.

"But I just saved you." Pips said calmly, giving a sly smile.

"You almost killed me!"

"Ah... And there's my point." Pips laughed. "You see? I pushed you off the branch, much like you led that beast into Ferngully and it released Hexxus upon us all. In turn, I chased after you and caught you before you died, much like you helped stop the machine; that diffused most of Hexxus' power. Now, you say you helped save Ferngully. I just saved your life."

"That's not the same."

"Why not?"

"My mistake was born of ignorance. You deliberately pushed me off."

"So? I was only doing it on purpose to explain my point of view. I could have just as easily pushed you off on accident as much as you could have knowingly destroyed Ferngully."

"That's a lie! I would never-!"

"Guys! Stop!" Crysta pushed Zak behind her as the two were coming dangerously close to throwing fists. "We get it!"

"So now you see why he shouldn't be given our powers? He could 'accidentally' kill someone!" Pips angrily shouted.

"I said that's enough Pips!" Crysta said. "Now, I get why you're opposed to my decision. But I also understand his reasons for why things ended up the way they did. We could not have expected him to know what he was doing. But because he decided to take responsibility and help out, when he could have just as easily abandoned us, I think that he has a right to choose to live among us and even be given our powers and abilities."

The angry faerie opened his mouth to protest, but Crysta held up a hand. "I've already decided, Pips. Zak is one of us now and if he decides to become a faerie, so be it. But I will ask the rest of the community if they oppose or agree to my decision, if that eases you."

"You can't ignore my claims, Crysta."

"No. But neither should you ignore his." Crysta flew off to a farther length along the branch to address the other faeries.

Pips and Zak glared at one another, but remained silent.

_A/N: What do you think the other faeries are going to say? Will they agree to her decision? Or will they shun him from the community? Stay tuned to find out more... (I will be adding another part, don't worry. I actually did finish this. I just don't have time to upload it all.)_


	2. The Decision And One Year Later

Earning Wings

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH! Lime

_A/N_: _It's been a while since I wrote a fanfic on anything. Sorry for my negligence... ^^; I'll be updating the other stories soon, I promise. But in the mean time, enjoy a fanfic that I did finish in a notebook a couple days ago. :) Ferngully is not mine, nor are the characters. They belong to their respective creators. Don't sue, blah blah blah... If you don't like slash, yaoi, boy on boy romance and sex, don't read! Enjoy!_

"You have heard both sides of the argument. I now leave it up to you." Crysta smiled at the crowd. "Should we deny Zak from becoming a faerie?" Very few murmured their agreement. "Or should we give him the choice, as our gift of trust and friendship?" Several hundred cheered at this.

"Then it is decided." She turned her green eyes to a set of blue ones. "Do you wish to become a faerie?"

Zak smiled over at Pips in spite and nodded.

Crysta closed her eyes and concentrated upon the magic. _"Bless your heart as I give you the gift of flight, for faerie you shall become, in form and spirit."_

Zak suddenly lifted into the air without warning.

-One Year Later-

Zak dipped his toes into the cool water of the river below him as he hovered with the steady beat of his wings. It had been a year now since his transformation, and he still reveled in the joys of flight and his newfound affinity to help along the growth of nature. Everyday, what once connected him to his old life as a human, had changed. His hair, once so carefully kept and shoulder length, now resembled the wild locks of many of the faeries. The blond strands were wavy and he even fashioned two small braids on either side of his head. In that one year, his hair had become three times in length, reaching his waist.

Long gone was his human attire and the wallet he had kept. Those things were now buried somewhere under the roots of the enchanted tree. In their place, he wore a loin cloth of sewn together leaves of a lily and a soft, brown vest made of the fibers from an upturned tree's roots. Brightly colored bangles sat up on one bicep and a magically infused tattoo of a bear paw marked his left shoulder. His ears were longer and tipped sharply upward, completing his fae appearance.

Zak loved being a part of Ferngully! Everyday, he woke up in his tree, which was two away from Crysta's, but unfortunately right behind Pips', and he would share breakfast with his raven-haired friend. Afterward, they would visit the barren part of the rainforest that had just began to heal from Hexxus' wanton destruction. They would plant several seeds and coax the buds to shoot up and bloom. Zak's favorite part was helping along moss. The honest work pleased the blond faerie, and they would work well into noon. By then, Crysta was required to return to the small community so that she could start teaching the younger faeries how to plant and sprout vegetation.

Meanwhile, Zak would take off and explore for the rest of the day.

Although most of the faeries had accepted Zak as one of them, not many had approached or contacted him since his transformation. The few who had opposed, including Pips and the Beetleboys, had still harbored hard feelings towards the new member. He didn't mind that they left him alone; he did worry about the ones who had approved. Except for Crysta, her father, and Batty-who didn't exactly count-he spoke to no one else. At first, he believed it was because they were giving him space to adjust and because the transformation had startled them. However, after a year went by without more than greetings, Zak had the unsettling feeling that perhaps they were afraid of him.

Despite the alienation, Zak preservered. Even during the rare occurrences that he ran into Pips, he kept his mouth prudently closed. Pips was still Crysta's friend, but it made it that much more difficult to hand out with her when the red head would drop by and talk to her. But thankfully, today marked the second week in a row that Zak and Pips hadn't encountered. Not that the blond knew that, let alone what day it was anymore, he was feeling in high spirits.

He quickly pulled his feet from the calm river and dropped himself into the water. A platypus swam across his vision. With nothing more interesting to see, he made his way back up to the surface. Pips had been wandering around the forest in search for something to eat when he spied a blond faerie drip into a nearby river.

The specific colors of bangles and the tattoo on one shoulder told Pips who it was.

The red head grinned. A chance to put Zak in his place was too good to pass up.

He flew over the spot where the blond had disappeared and waited. Just as Zak crested the water, Pips pushed him back under. Not to drown him, for murder wasn't his intention, but to scare him. As he pushed Zak further underwater, he entered under the surface as well.

Pips watched the blond flail his arms to reach back up to the surface. Grinning, he caught Zak's attention with a mocking wave of his hand.

Anger lit Zak's blue eyes with a chilling fire.

They broke the surface.

"Enjoying your day?" Pips chided.

"I was until you showed up." Zak spat. "What do you want?"

"To remind you that you still haven't earned those wings of yours."

"When will you give it a rest, Pips? Crysta decided that I earned them and so did most of our people."

Pips flew out of the river and sat down on the bank nearby. "By 'our people', you mean mine and Crysta's people, right? You're still a human on the inside, Zak. No amount of magic will change that." He sneered. "And sure," he scoffed, "Crysta and most of the faeries agreed for you to become one of us. But have they honestly accepted you?"

Zak landed next to Pips with a wet plop. "Of course they do!"

"I can see that. I mean, they accept you. That's why they haven't spoken to you for a whole four seasons, right?"

"Shut up!"

"Struck a nerve, have I?" Pips laughed.

Zak got up on his feet, his fists curled at his sides. "What happened to you, Pips?" He yelled, exasperated.

The question caught Pips off-guard.

"You seemed to be getting along with me just fine after the battle against Hexxus, until Crysta offered to make me into a faerie! Are you jealous? Are you scared? Tell me! What did I do to deserve your contempt? And don't feed me that crap about how I nearly destroyed everything! I know that's a lie because you had forgiven me before Crysta's offer!"

Never before could anyone figure Pips out that easily! But he wasn't willing to share that.

"Why would you think that your participation in destroying part of the rainforest and releasing Hexxus would have nothing to do with my anger?" It was calm, genuine curiosity.

"Because you know as well as I that I had nothing to do with Hexxus being released. Was I there, marching through the trees with Hexxus and the machine in tow? Or was I here with you guys?"

"You were here, but with those marks, you led them here."

"It was my first day on the job and I was only told to mark fifty healthy, full-grown trees. And when Crysta found me and shrunk me, I had only marked half of what I was supposed to. I wasn't even near here. Ask Crysta, she'll tell you the same thing."

Although everything in Pips told him to continue fighting, continue denying, he couldn't help but notice the lack of defense in Zak's words. It was as if the blond were recalling a memory from farther back, one that was painful to remember. Pips understood the tone, the inflection. He recognized it as the truth. With his subtle, innate powers, he would have picked up any lies.

Why didn't he think of using his powers before?

He had been scared...

The red head looked up at Zak towering over him. "I believe you."

"I-What?"

Pips stood up to face him. "I said, I believe you."

"...Why now?"

"Because, in your recounting of events, you tell it with regret and pain. Before, when I had questioned you, you spoke with anger. Only someone who tells the truth would speak with pain, regret, but with lack of fear. Not only that, I am actually listening and it makes all complete sense! I'm not letting my emotions rule my head this time."

Zak stood there, cautious and sure that it was just bait for another fight.

"I mean it." Pips insisted. He held out his hand. "I believe you now, and I'm truly sorry to place all of that blame onto you, Zak."

If the sincerity of his words hadn't surprised Zak, the fact that Pips got his name right did!

The blond eagerly reached out to his hand, glad that the dispute was behind them at last.

Pips lifted Zak over his head and threw him into the river.

_A/N: Wait, what? Did Pips actually forgive Zak? Or was it all a ruse to hurt him? Stay tuned for the next segment._


	3. Turning The Tables

Earning Wings

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH! Lime

_A/N_: _It's been a while since I wrote a fanfic on anything. Sorry for my negligence... ^^; I'll be updating the other stories soon, I promise. But in the mean time, enjoy a fanfic that I did finish in a notebook a couple days ago. :) Ferngully is not mine, nor are the characters. They belong to their respective creators. Don't sue, blah blah blah... If you don't like slash, yaoi, boy on boy romance and sex, don't read! Enjoy!_

Shocked, Zak shot out of the water, gasping for air. "What was that for?"

"Since we're back on good terms, I thought you'd enjoy a dip!" He stuck his tongue out at him.

Zak dove down to him before Pips knew what happened.

The red head found himself headfirst in the river. He swam his way back to air.

"Since we're on good terms..." Zak smiled arrogantly.

Pips zoomed out, intent on getting even. The blond flew out of harm's way, the red head chasing after him.

Eventually, in a clearing far from the river, Zak dove under a pile of fallen leaves, thinking his ruse would trick Pips.

The other faerie had sensed his intent and feigned confusion to allow Zak to let down his guard.

One second, Pips was searching for him. The next, Zak found himself sufficiently pinned.

"Don't think you can fool me!" Pips laughed as he wrestled Zak on the ground.

By the time the two were exhausted, the sky had darkened and the sun was starting to fade. The faeries laid down ion the grass, watching the stars appear.

"I'm glad we're back to being friends." Zak sighed contentedly.

"Me too." Pips yawned.

"You won't mind me asking if I was to know why you were mad at me thought, right?"

Silence was Pips' only answer as he pondered the right words.

"I believe I was scared." Pips admitted.

"What were you scared of?"

"It's not really important." Pips said quickly, slightly embarrassed.

"Come on, Pips. Even if it's not important, I'd like to know so I can better understand what had happened four seasons ago." Zak looked over into Pips' emerald eyes.

"I was scared... because... I wasn't sure how you'd be able to handle being a faerie."

"I seem to handle it just fine."

"I know that now, but at the time, what if you agreed to being a faerie and after a time you realized that you regretted it? Not only would I have put my hopes up in believing that you'd always be here, but what if Crysta had messed up, like she did when she accidentally shrunk you? Something internally, and irreversible, could have gone wrong."

"So you're saying that you were afraid of either me regretting my choice and leaving, and that Crysta could have messed up casting the magic?"

"Yes."

"Huh... I see what you mean."

"Exactly! And I was angry because you were willing to risk that."

"So it really wasn't about my mistake?"

"Hardly. Like you so stated, I had forgiven you earlier that day."

"Then why did you make it out to be otherwise?"

"I..." This was the one question that Pips hadn't been prepared to answer. "I... was hoping that maybe pointing out the mistake would make you realize that potential risks you were taking."

"That doesn't make sense. It would have been easier to tell me your concerns rather than go around it-" Zak stopped short.

"What?" Asked Pips, noticing the look of concentration upon the blond's face.

Zak sat up suddenly. "...Unless you were hiding something."

That got Pips so sit up, but for a different reason.

"What would embarrass you,, that you would hide your actual concerns?"

Pips averted his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Is it because you felt that Crysta and I had feelings for each other?"

"Leave it alone, Zak."

"That can't be it." Zak mused to himself. "Every one knows that me and Crysta will always just be friends. And if you had feelings for Crysta, you would had spent a lot more time around her lately, like you used to when I was a human."

"Zak..."

"What are you truly afraid of, Pips?"

"ZAK!"

"WHAT?"

The next thing he knew, Zak found himself being thoroughly kissed. The rough lips grazed his in a domineering way, as a tongue that faintly tasted of exotic fruits swept through his mouth and gently licked and sucked his own tongue sensually. One strong hand wove its fingers through his hair, gripping tightly, while the other cupped his chin to guide the kiss.

It took a moment for Zak to register that it was Pips, who had also unknowingly settled himself in his lap.

Just as fast as it had come, Pips broke the kiss.

Zak blinked a couple of times, as if waking from a dream, and asked, "What was that for?"

The red head's wings flitted for a moment, hovering him high enough to stand. "You wouldn't shut up." He answered, as if it was an obvious solution.

"So you kissed me?"

"What else could I have done, aside from hitting you?"

"You could have told me to shut up."

"And what?" Pips beamed. "Miss out on the fun?"

"Fun?" Zak stood up, perplexed.

"I thought it was." Pips turned his back to him and flew off.

Still confused, but starting to put the pieces together, he followed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What do you think I mean?"

"Don't play games, Pips."

"No one's playing any games here." Zak could hear the laughter in that statement. Zak stopped mid flight as he grabbed a hold of Pips' arm.

"What is it?" Pips said innocently.

"You think kissing is fun?"

"Well, yea."

Zak couldn't help but laugh. "So you kiss other faeries that don't shut up? Or is that a common practice among everyone in Ferngully?"

It was Pips' turn to laugh. "I don't kiss other faeries and it's certainly not a part of our culture! Don't humans usually kiss other humans that they like?"

"...Yea..."

"Well then, there you have it! Our cultures match in that aspect. And yes, I thought that kiss was fun for my first time."

"Your... first time? I thought you and Crysta were-"

"Together? Yea, most of everyone in Ferngully knew we weren't but they expected us to be eventually. But after many years of pursuing her, she let me know her exact feelings for me, which was that of a friend and nothing more."

Zak pondered this. "So... when you kissed me..."

"It was my first, and yes, I like you."

"...I-I didn't know you felt that way about me."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Ummm..." Just as Zak was about to answer, a large drop of water fell out of the sky and landed on him. Although it was relatively warm, it was like someone splashed half of him with a bucket of water.

"We should find shelter until morning. We're too far from the hollow to make it back now and it's too dark to see anything." Pips stated as he observed a cloud strewn, velvet black sky.

They set off and soon found an abandoned nest inside the trunk of a tree. By the time they had settled inside, it was raining harder outside and both fae occupants of the tree were soaked as a testament of their hurried flight to shelter.

As Pips cleared away any extra debris inside the nest, Zak gathered a small bundle of bark and dead leaves to start a fire. But as a precaution to avoid setting the whole tree on fire, the blond picked a big piece of bark and went outside to dampen it.

A couple of minutes later, they were drying off in front of a roaring fire that Zak had prepared from rubbing two dry sticks together. This had enthralled Pips at first, having never seen the element before, but after a similar warning that Zak had given to Crysta a long while back, Pips knew enough not to touch it.

"So is that good or bad, Zak?"

"About what?" The fire was so refreshingly warm, that the blond had started to doze.

"You had said that you didn't know I felt that way about you."

"Oh..." Fatigue was forgotten immediately, to be replaced with timidness.

"So..?" Pips queried after an appropriate five minutes of silence.

Zak sighed, his face reddening. "Well, to put it this way, I never thought of much of anyone in that way."

Pips cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Why not?"

"Well... I was always too busy..."

"With your job-thing?"

"Yea... I just never had the time."

"Well, what about when you first arrived here in Ferngully? You didn't think about Crysta in that way either?" Pips asked, curious.

"At first, I might have." Zak admitted. "But then, I thought that she was with you, so I resisted getting closer to her."

"I see..." Pips rested his chin on his knees as he drew them up to his chest, all the while looking over at Zak, who seemed to be lost in thought. "What are you thinking about, Zak?"

"Hm? Nothing."

Pips crawled over to the sprawled blond, who had his arms crossed under his head, and straddled him. "What are you thinking about, Zak?" He asked again with a devilish grin as he stared down at him.

Zak blushed furiously and tried to sit up to get out from under the red head. Said red head pushed him back down. "Well?"

"I'm thinking about you getting off of my lap!" Zak yelled nervously.

"And why should I? You're enjoying it as much as I am." Pips raised an eyebrow suggestively, holding his not-so-innocent smile.

_A/N: ! I love cliff-hangers, don't you? :D Stay tuned and we'll see what happens next! (You guys are lucky... I actually had this chapter very long and drawn out as Zak and Pips discussed how relationships differed between the human world and the faeries... But since I'm so generous, I cut it out to get to the good stuff and because the discussion wasn't necessary.)_


	4. Blond Captive

Earning Wings

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH! Lime

_A/N_: _It's been a while since I wrote a fanfic on anything. Sorry for my negligence... ^^; I'll be updating the other stories soon, I promise. But in the mean time, enjoy a fanfic that I did finish in a notebook a couple days ago. :) Ferngully is not mine, nor are the characters. They belong to their respective creators. Don't sue, blah blah blah... If you don't like slash, yaoi, boy on boy romance and sex, don't read! Enjoy!_

Pips pinned Zak's arms on either sides of his head. "So tell me, what are you thinking about?"

"N-nothing!" Yelled the struggling, red-faced blond. He didn't think it was possible that his face could flush any brighter, but even his tipped ears were starting to feel scorched.

Pips chuckled, his voice growing soft. _Dangerously soft..._ "That's a lie, if I ever heard one."

As hard as he might, Zak just couldn't throw the obviously stronger faerie off of him.

"If you tell me what you're thinking about, I'll let you go."

Zak glared at Pips. Ooh... The innocent way that he put it... The blond knew he wasn't going to be freed anytime soon.

He wasn't just going to give in that easily though.

"It was honestly nothing! Please, Pips-"

"Mmmm... I love it when you beg."

"-just let me up!"

"What were you thinking of? That kiss we had?" At the thought, Pips leaned down and whispered in Zak's ear. "How much further we could have taken it?"

"Th-that's not-"

The red head's laugh was sultry; a warm mixture of sweetness and sin.

"Come on... We both know that's exactly what you were thinking about." He breathed, nibbling lightly on Zak's earlobe.

"No, that's n-not- Aaah... Nnnng..." His lustful moans drowned out the rest of his words as soon as he felt the small bites on his earlobe.

Pips lowered his love bites down to his victim's neck, only to bite harder and lavish the skin with his tongue. Zak panted, unable to control his heart from pounding so hard.

The infuriating faerie lifted his head from his torturous kisses, a wolfish smile blooming across his face as he watched the blond's reactions.

"Did I guess right?" The red head teased.

In response, Zak shot up from the floor and crashed his lips against his.

Instantaneously forgetting everything else, Pips wrapped his arms around the other faerie and passionately deepened the kiss. Zak buried his hands through the wild, fiery locks and cupped the back of Pip's head. Both of them were on their knees now, licking and biting and kissing with all of the male savagery possible. When their lips broke for air, Pips growled, grinding his hips into Zak.

Zak started kissing Pips' neck in response, letting one hand trail from the red hair to the small of Pips' back, as if egging him on.

Pips pushed Zak off of him and onto the floor again, pouncing after him. Again, the blond was pinned. Although Zak could easily use his magic to disappear, he found this way too exciting. He feigned struggling, only to have the feisty red head that was currently straddling him to suddenly bite his shoulder.

A loud, passionate moan escaped Zak, one that spoke a tantalizing mix of pain and pleasure.

"Well now," Pips said with amusement, "someone has a weak spot."

Zak quickly bucked his hips upward. Pips gasped, surprised for the first time.

"Apparently, so does someone else."

Pips bit his lower lip and opened his eyes slowly, lust commanding his movements. The red head was so beautiful, graceful even, in the way he carried himself. As those green eyes looked down upon him, Zak knew that he had never known one such as Pips that was this intensely alluring; this sexy. And he knew in his heart that, although he was a faerie by magic, he could never possess the ethereal beauty of one that was born fae in body as well as spirit.

Pips gave a playful smile. He opened the front of Zak's vest and pushed it off his shoulders. Beads of sweat from the fire and their tussle glistened from the tanned abs. He lowered his head and licked the outlines of sculpted perfection.

Zak shivered, aroused. He leaned back on his elbows to allow the other faerie more access to his body.

Pips licked those beads of sweat from his body. His hot tongue traced down to his navel and back up. When he reached a nipple, he flicked it with a tongue and bit it gently as it hardened.

The action caused a cry of ecstasy.

Pips stopped, smiled at the faerie blushing from underneath him, and kissed him softly. Zak was okay with the gentle kiss... until the red head impatiently shoved his tongue into his mouth.

"Mmmm..." Zak moaned into him, fisting fiery red hair in one hand and wrapping the other arm around Pips' waist.

But the red head had other plans.

Pips squirmed out of Zak's hold and began to kiss his way down the blond's body. He reached the waistband of Zak's loincloth and licked from one side to the other.

Zak gasped. "Aaah... Pips..."

Pips lifted the loincloth and trailed a greedy tongue along the insides of his thighs.

"Wait Pips-Aaah..!" The erotic feeling sent his head swimming through a tumult of sensations. His nerve endings were practically on fire!

"Like that, don'tcha?" Pips called from below.

Zak's eyes rolled into the back of his head as Pips went back down and lightly-oh so very lightly-ran a tongue over his shaft.

A sudden voice reverberated through the blond's mind as the infamous tongue rolled back over the tip. _'Scream my name. Beg.'_

"Pips? I-is that y-y-you talking to me in m-my head?"

_'Who else? I do have other abilities besides growing things,you know... Now beg... Scream my name!'_

As if to entice him to do as he commanded, Pips deep-throated, sucking hard.

"Pips!" Zak gasped, sparks bursting behind his eyes.

_'Good... You follow directions after all... Now beg!'_

A hard rub of his tongue in the space between the blond's erection and balls made Zak stammer incoherently. He threw his arm over his face, hiding his blush.

_'I said beg, little faerie...'_

"Please..."

_'Please what?'_

"Please fuck me, Pips!" The crude, perverted words that tumbled from his mouth made the blond timid, instantly shutting him up.

_'Hmmm...' _Zak could almost hear the pleased smile._ 'Not yet... but you are getting progressively better. I like that... Just keep it up and I might just let you finish...'_

Pips rolled his tongue all over the hardened shaft, eagerly taking it in and massaging it with his mouth, sucking harder and faster.

The red head was rewarded with moans and screams of eroticism.

"Aaah... Please Pips... I'm so close! I can't take it! Fuck... Nnng..."

And right as the blond faerie was ready to burst, the red head pulled away.

The pent up sexual frustration drove Zak insane.

"Pips... Please..." His body was sensitive to the touch, making the abrupt end a cruel torture.

Pips laid a slender finger on Zak's swollen lips, grinning. "Please what, Zak?"

The blond took his finger into his mouth, desperately hoping it would convince Pips to stop the torture. He sucked on it eagerly, his blue eyes half mast with delirious, maddening lust. He let the finger slide slowly from his mouth.

Bluntly, he whispered, with an animalistic snarl, "Fuck me."

_A/N: Wooo... This is getting interesting, isn't it? ^/^_


	5. A Match Made In Ferngully

Earning Wings

Paired Couple: ZakXPips/SLASH! Lime

_A/N_: _It's been a while since I wrote a fanfic on anything. Sorry for my negligence... ^^; I'll be updating the other stories soon, I promise. But in the mean time, enjoy a fanfic that I did finish in a notebook a couple days ago. :) Ferngully is not mine, nor are the characters. They belong to their respective creators. Don't sue, blah blah blah... If you don't like slash, yaoi, boy on boy romance and sex, don't read! Enjoy!_

No words were necessary. Pips lifted both of them up from the floor and rammed Zak against one wall of the tree, intensely shoving his tongue into his mouth and grinding his hips into him. The blond wrapped his legs around Pips' middle, knowing full well what was coming. Pips dexterously untied his yellow and orange loincloth, letting it fall to the floor, and began working on Zak's green one.

Suddenly, Zak felt a sharp pain at his rectum. He gasped, breaking their frenzied kissing.

"Does it hurt?" Pips asked, worried.

"Yea... Just fuck me already."

Pips grabbed his wrists and shoved them against the wall. He smirked. "I'm the one who makes the demands around here, little faerie."

Joining their lips and tongues once again, Pips quickly shoved his hardened cock to the hilt inside of him, both of them moaning into each other. But Zak's moan was also a hiss of pain. The forceful entrance was almost too much to bear. After a long moment of the red head slowly pushing in and out of him, the pain started to recede, leaving a tingling pleasure in its wake.

When Pips noticed the change of Zak's body gradually relaxing and his moans became less harsh from pain, Pips increased the tempo, pounding into him faster as his self-control began to break. He trailed his lips down Zak's jawline and nipped at his neck, relishing in his lover's uncontrollable, breathless panting.

"Aaah... Pips! Fuck..." The blond tugged at the fiery hair when Pips released his arms. "...Pips..."

The blond's wrists were rammed back against the wall. "None of that now..." The red head laughed.

Zak felt his wrists being tied behind his head. He looked at the cord that was being used. It was his own loincloth.

"How did you...?"

"Like I said, I do have useful abilities besides making things grow." The red head had telekinetically summoned the loincloth to his hand up from the floor.

Now that Zak was sufficiently tied up, Pips began gyrating his hips in circles, coaxing screams of pleasure from his captive.

"Nnng... Pips! Fuck, I'm so close..."

"Beg for it, Zak..."

"Please..."

"Beg for it, Zak..."

"...Pips! Oh god..!"

Pips bit Zak's lower lip. "Beg for it, little faerie! Do you... want it..?" Pips panted, his head swimming.

"Yes!"

"Say you want it... Beg for it..."

"I want it... Please Pips!"

A bead of sweat rolled down Zak's temple. His breath came in harsh whispers.

"...Say it, Zak..."

"Fuck me... Please..."

"Zak!"

"Pips!"

The red head drove harder, faster. Both of them were close to the threshold of desire.

"Pips!"

"Nnng... Zak!" The red head shivered as he pumped his seed into the other faerie.

Moments later, Pips and Zak were laying next to the dying embers of the fire, spent and exhausted from their vicious love-making. Zak's wrists were unbound now, his arms wrapped around Pips as he nestled into his lover's shoulder, deep in sleep.

Pips laid awake, absently brushing his fingertips across Zak's forehead, silently admiring the gentle, sweet smile on his face.

Without thinking, Pips whispered into the blond's hair as he kissed his head. "I love you."

Although deep in sleep, the slight form in his embrace whispered back, "I love you, too, Pips."

The red head, at first surprised to hear a response, chuckled and hugged Zak tighter to his chest. That was all he needed to hear.

-End-

_A/N: Tell me what you think! R&R's are very much appreciated! :)_


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